Accidentally let temps drop - best course of action?

[robgunby]

So, the Redi-Chek beeped at about 5 this morning to say the grill temp had dropped to 205. IT of the pork shoulders was around 185. I knew that I had about 50% inlet open, and plenty of fuel, so thought it would be ok for three more hours before I got up.

Alas, I got up and temps were 160 grill and 170 IT!

Question is - do I pull it now, to avoid overcooking, or bring the smoker back to temp and get the IT all the way to 200 as normal?

[slatts]

Hi

I had this once and let it go back up to normal temps and didn't have any problems.
Whether I was lucky I don't know, nobody had an ill effects and the pork pulled just aswell as normal, I did foil with liquid.

Im not sure on the food safety side of this but im sure somebody will answer on that side of things.

Slatts

[robgunby]

Cheers matey, that's what I wanted their hear! Food safety wise I should be fine, I was more concerned about overcooking and dryness. I havent foiled these, but have mopped (though I'm skeptical about the benefits). They look and feel fine but have begun a second stall it seems (because I mopped?).

Something odd though - The IT at 5am was over 190 - after only 12 hours. I expected a 20 hour cook and ive never been more than two hours out on my estimates. So in a weird way this delay is a good thing as some of the pork is for tonight's tea!

[keith157]

My first reaction would be to reach for and fill the Charity Swear Box

[robgunby]

Turned out ok in the end, the bark on the bottom is like rock but the meat isn't dry, so alls well that ends well!

[paulfire]

20 hour cook, what are you BBQing a full pig ? I am an expert in letting the temp drop, and I found that foiling saves most disasters, build up the temp and continue the cook leaving the foil on, yes the bark softens but at least you avert total failure. Or you can turn on the oven, that'll work too

[robgunby]

20 hour cook, what are you BBQing a full pig ?

Not quite but plenty Three shoulders, about 45lb uncooked. I normally find a 15lb shoulder takes 17-22 hours at 225F, depending on what else is in the smoker with it at the time.

I should have foiled these. I knew I should at the time, but didn't. Pure obnoxious laziness, and the pork slightly suffered for it (thankfully not too much). Soft bark is never a problem for pulled pork as it all ends up shredded and chucked in a bowl with vinegar sauce.

Oven not an option for me these days, our half decent oven packed in last year, and we had to get the cheapest, crappest oven out there. So uneven, that the bottom of a pork shoulder would be cooking at 250 and the top would be 450!